Savitri
A Legend and a Symbol

Canto 54Vatsapri Bhalandana · Suktas 45–46

Book 2. Part Two: Other Hymns to Agni

the sisters — and thou growest to greatness.
VATSAPRI BHALANDANA
SUKTA 45
1. Above heaven was the first birth of the Fire, over us was his
5second birth as the knower of all things born, his third birth
was in the waters, a god-mind; him continuously one kindles
and with one’s thought perfectly fixed on him adores.
2. O Fire, we know the triple three of thee, we know thy seats
borne widely in many planes, we know thy supreme Name
10which is in the secrecy, we know that fount of things whence
thou camest.
3. He of the god-mind kindled thee in the Ocean, within the
Waters, he of the divine vision kindled thee, O Fire, in the
teat of heaven; the mighty ones made thee to grow where
15thou stoodest in the third kingdom, in the lap of the waters.
4. Fire cried aloud like heaven thundering, he licked the earth
revealing its growths: when kindled and born, at once he
saw all this that is; he shines out with his light between
earth and heaven.
20Mandala Ten
2FZAm
dAro
DzZo
ryFZA
25mnFqAZA
Ap
Z
somgopA
vs
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n
shso
aJs
35rAjA
Ev
BAyg
uqsAEmDAn
5. An exalter of glories, a holder of the riches, a manifester of
40thinking mind, a guardian of the wine of delight, a shining
One, the son of force, the king in the Waters, he grows
luminous as he burns up in the front of the dawns.
Ev
vy
t
B
vny
gB
50aA
rodsF
ap
ZA6jAymAn
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55EcdEd
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606. The ray of intuition of the universe, the child in the womb of
the world, in his coming to birth he filled earth and heaven;
going beyond them he rent even the strong mountain when
the peoples of the five births sacrificed to the Fire.
uEfk
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arEt
s
m
DA
70mt
vEnrm
to
En
DAEy
75iyEt
D
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mmzq
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AEmnn
857. An aspirant and traveller and wise of mind, a purifying
flame, the Fire who is set within as the immortal in mortals,
he sends forth and carries a ruddy smoke striving with his
bright flame of light to reach heaven.
d
90fAno
z‚
uEv
yA
yOd
m
q
mAy
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100zcAn
aEnrm
to
aBvd
vyoEBy
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tA
8. Visible, golden of light, widely he shone; resplendent in his
glory he is life hard to violate: the Fire by his expandings
became immortal when heaven with its strong seed had
115brought him to birth.
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a
k
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120Bd
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130ny
tr
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9. O god, O happy light, O Fire, he who has prepared for
140thee the luminous honeycomb15 him lead forward towards
15 Or, the cake of light
Other Hymns to Agni
a more opulent state, O youthful godhead, even to the bliss
enjoyed by the gods.
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t
Bj
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vn
150u8Tu8T
aA
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fymAn
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160BvAy
6jAt
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10. O Fire, bestow on him his share in the things of inspired
knowledge, in word upon word as it is spoken: he becomes
dear to the sun, dear to Fire; upward he breaks with what
170is born in him, upward with the things that are to be born.
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an
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vA
vs
dEDr
180vAyA
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vyA
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d
185EvZEmQCmAnA
v
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gomtm
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190Ev
vv
11. O Fire, men who sacrifice to thee day after day hold in
themselves all desirable riches; desiring the treasure in thy
companionship, aspiring, they burst open the covered pen
195of the Ray-Cows.
atA yEnn
rA
s
f
200vo
v
#
vAnr
-EqEB
205somgopA
a7
q
AvAp
ETvF
v
m
d
vA
215D1
rEymm
s
vFrm
12. The Fire has been affirmed in their lauds by the sages, he
220who is full of bliss for men, the Universal Godhead, guardian
of the wine of delight. Let us invoke earth and heaven free
from hostile powers; found in us, O gods, a wealth full of
hero-mights.
SUKTA 46
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jAto
mhAn
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230sFddpAm
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s
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Es
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vs
En
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245pA
1. The great priest of the call has been born; the knower of the
heavens, he who is seated in man, may he take his seat in
the lap of the waters: he who upholds us and who is held
in us, rules for thee his worshipper thy expandings and thy
250riches and is the protector of thy body.
Mandala Ten
im
EvDto
apA
255sDT
pf
n
n
pd
260#rn
mn
g
hA
cttm
265Efjo
nmoEBErQCto
DFrA
B
gvo'Evdn
2702. They worshipped him in the session of the waters, as if
the cow of vision lost they followed him by his tracks;
where he hid in the secret cavern, aspiring with obeisance
the Flame-Seers, the wise thinkers desired and found him.
im
275Eto
B
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rocny
3003. Him greatly desiring Trita,16 son of the master of wide
riches, found on the head of the light unslayable; he is born
the youth who increases the felicity in our mansions and
becomes the navel-centre of the luminous world.
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305hotArm
Efjo
nmoEB
A)c
y.
tArmvrAZAm
EvfAmk
@v3rEt
pAvk
315h yvAh
dDto
mAn
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q
3204. In their aspiration they created him by their obeisance and
set him in men as the rapturous priest of the call, the sacrifi-
cer ever-moving forward, the leader of the pilgrim-sacrifices,
the traveller, the carrier of the offering, the purifying Flame.
B
j
yt
mhA
EvpoDA
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rA
am
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rA
dmA
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gB
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345Eh
Er
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5. He has come into being and leading him like a golden-
maned war-horse, the great, the victorious, the founder of
the Light, men ignorant one who is free from ignorance, the
355render of the cities, the child of the forests, whose wealth is
the illumined word17 — they established the thought.
16 Trita the triple born from the All-pervading Substance.
17 Or, the illumination
Other Hymns to Agni
360En
pyAs
Et
tB
$
365yn
pErvFto
yonO
sFddt
at
g
yA
EvfA
dm
nA
EvDm
ZAy
#rFyt
^
n
6. May Trita in the homesteads holding all firmly18 take his ses-
sion in his native seat within and all-encompassing; thence,
385a dweller in man’s home, taking all into his grasp, by a wide
law of his action, by unrestrained movements he journeys
to the gods.
ayAjrAso
dmAmErA
390ac
d
D
$
mAso
395any
pAvkA
E
vtFcy
vAAso
r@yvo
vnq
do
vAyvo
somA
7. His ageless and purifying fires are the defenders of our
homes, lifting their luminous smoke; white-flaming, dwell-
ers in the Tree, they are our strengtheners and supporters
410and like winds and like wine.
Ej4yA
Brt
v
po
415aEn
vy
nAEn
c
tsA
ET yA
tmAyv
f
cyt
425pAvk
md
hotAr
dEDr
yEjSm
4308. Fire carries with his tongue the illumination of wisdom,
he carries in his consciousness earth’s discoveries of knowl-
edge; him men hold the illuminating and purifying rapturous
priest of the call most strong for sacrifice.
AvA
435ymEn
p
ETvF
jEnAmApvA
B
440gvo
y
shoEB
I0
y
445Tm
mAtEr
vA
d
vAtt
nv
yjm
9. This is the Fire to whom earth and heaven gave birth; and
the waters, the form-maker and the Flame-Seers by their
455strengths and life that grows in the mother and the gods have
fashioned for man desirable, first and supreme, a master of
sacrifice.
18 Or, setting himself firmly
Mandala Ten
46010. Thou art he whom the gods have set as the carrier of the
offerings and men with their many desires as the lord of
sacrifice; so do thou, O Fire, found in thy journeying wide
expansion for him who lauds thee and making him divine
gather in him many glorious things.
465DEVAS AND AGNI SAUCHIKA